A Challange Like No Other
by Riku Murasaki
Summary: The stadium is full to the brim, eager viewers waiting to witness the confrontation that will be talked about for years to come.  OC vs. OC, because anyone with half a brain could out-strategize Ash Ketchum.


The crowd screamed in anticipation as an energetic announcer took his place. Hundreds, possibly thousands of people sat in a grand colloseum. To the center was an empty field, characterized only by dirt, gravel, and the occasional boulder. Above the crowd's heads, the sky was bright and cloudless; the perfect day for a battle.

"Are you ready, folks?" called the voice of the announcer through the stadium speakers. The crowd roared their approval to him. His face, an average looking one, shone on massive screens placed all throughout the enclosure. "I said are you ready!" The crowd responded again, with unimaginable gusto. "That's what I thought! As you all know, today, we are given a very special treat. Two of the greatest trainers in the history of battling are here with us to duke it out in the most spectacular clash of the season! Our first challenger comes from the Seafoam Islands in the Kanto region, and is known by his fans as 'the Idle Storm'. He's won three consecutive Pokemon League Championships in his own region, two in Johto, and one in Sinnoh. He's the current reigning Elite Four Champion, and has quite the collection of badges. Introducing Ollander DeValde!"

From the north end of the stadium, one level above the field, a tanned young man emerged from a hallway and into the light. He wore thinly framed glasses, and had dark, heavily styled hair. His outfit was simple enough, being composed of whitewash jeans, white boots with brown fur on the rims, a similarly styled leather jacket, and a black tee underneath.

Ollander waved to the crowd, less to relish in their cries, and more to appease them. He had learned long ago that it was smart to make the crowd happy. Happy fans bought tickets to events such as this, which would in turn make him more money. Money, however petty a thing to Olli, was necessary if he wanted to keep traveling with his pokemon.

Olli made his way to a small balcony. There, he waited for the announcer to continue his prodding of the viewers. He knew who was about to be introduced. This event had been in the papers for weeks, sensationalized as the most anticipated event in years. His opponent would be the one trainer he had met that could give him a real challenge. Olli figured there had to be others out there who could hold up against him, but so far, he had only met this one…

"And, facing him, hailing from Slateport City in the Hoenn region, we have quite the trainer. Nearly as many badges as Ollander, and an astonishing eight consecutive Grand Festivals in Hoenn, let alone several in other regions. He's known by many as "the Gleaming Fang". Give it up for Ryven Marqui!"

Once more, the arena was in hysterics as from the other end, a pale boy in his late teens walked into sight. His hair was a strategic mess of fiery scarlet, and his smile was bright, yet soft, so full of a quiet confidence. He wore a blazing teal, long-sleeved v-neck, and tight, black jeans, accessorizing with several necklaces and a belt with lime green studs.

The boy stepped over to his balcony, and soon, the two ledges began to move. They extended out on thick, mechanical arms so that the participants had a close view of the battlefield without being a potential part of the action. The crowd was enthralled, cheering as loudly as they possibly could, and soon the announcer chimed back in.

"Now, before we get started, I'll break down the rules. This is a professional level battle. Both trainers are allowed a full team of six pokemon. Once the battle has begun, neither trainer may switch out his pokemon until it has been defeated. Healing items are prohibited, but hold items are welcome. Trainers may instruct their pokemon to use any move within their arsenal, as we have a full troupe of Alakazams working on crowd protection. And, now that the official business is over, we can get on with the show!" The crowd relished this thought, and made sure to voice it. "Trainers, send out your first pokemon!"

Ollander considered his opponent, and his team. He knew that Ryven was a tough trainer, but his battle style lay less in attack power, and more toward gradually draining the opponent. In the end, he decided to use his Blissey, Belle, as a defensive wall. She would provide the perfect opportunity to use Ryven's own stratagems against him.

Olli reached into his coat pocket, and grabbed a ball with a heart-shaped marking (one he added himself to help distinguish between pokemon without having to look). He quickly tossed it into the air, and it opened, a stream of light arcing down to the dirt field. The light cooled, taking on an ovular form, pink, and cheery. It carried an egg in a pouch on its stomach, and had small, wing-like protrusions on its shoulders. "Blissey!" she smiled, and then remembered she was being watched. Belle screwed her face into one she thought imposing, and pumped her stubby arms like a body builder. Olli could only watch, and pretend his pokemon wasn't so adorably naïve.

From the other side of the stadium, it appeared Ryven had made his choice. "Goliath!" he called, and his own arc of light revealed a spiky purple monster. The Nidoking was a fierce-looking thing compared to the sugary Belle, but her resolve would not falter so easily, nor would Olli's.

"Ready?" yelled the announcer. "And… begin!"

Immediately, the crowd uproared, eager to see some action. "Belle, defense curl!" called Olli, and his Blissey responded by folding herself into a ball, which then covered itself with a powder pink light. The light seemed to melt into Belle, and then she returned to her normal stance.

Ryven took a defensive route, though with a different method and intent. "Goliath, stealth rock!" The purple lizard punched the hard dirt, and several stones flew into the air, hovering in wait. "Now dig!" Goliath complied, easily burrowing underground to take Belle by surprise.

Ollander wouldn't falter from his course. He'd handled dig users in the past, and found it was all a matter of patience. "Go ahead and use light screen on yourself. A little extra protection never hurt." Belle did so, and soon, she felt a rumbling beneath her. She gave a look to Olli that let him know what was happening, but already knew what he would say. As Goliath burst from the ground, Belle used protect, bringing up a solid disc of light that stopped the incoming attack.

"Attract," yelled Ryven, and his Nidoking made use of the close quarters with Belle to send a gaze in her direction. She smiled slightly, then tried to shake her stupor off. She was in a battle, after all.

"Crap. Belle, he's at point blank! Give him a hyper beam!" Unfortunately, his pink companion was deaf to his order. The infatuation had set back in, and all she could think of was how handsome Goliath looked when he was about to knock her into next Tuesday.

"Goliath, giga impact." The massive lizard jumped into the air, spinning itself slightly to bring its tail down on Belle with horrific force. She was too enamored to dodge the hit, and took it full on. The impact knocked her back a few feet, and for a moment, it looked as if that had beat her. However, Belle was extremely resilient, and got back to her feet, facing the menacing beast before her.

"Belle, we need to take care of that damage. Use rest." Following orders, she shut her eyes, and was soon off to sleep. She took on a faint light, and soon, her scratches and bruises vanished.

"Fine. Goliath, lets make use of this break. Focus punch!" The Nidoking pulled back his fist, breathing steadily, concentrating all his power into the upcoming attack.

But Olli wouldn't have that. "Sleep talk!" Belle stirred slightly in her slumber, and opened her mouth. From it, rather than half-words or snores, came a zig-zagging stream of light blue. The icy ray found its mark, and soon, Goliath was encased in a glistening crystalline mound.

The people in the stands were ecstatic. The announcer raised a blue flag in the direction of Olander. "The Idle Storm has made the first knockout! Goliath is down. Who will Ryven choose to replace him?"

Ryven reached behind him to grab a ball from his belt. He tossed it into the air, and from it came forth a dark blue canine with a humanoid shape, and horns protruding from the backs of its hands. "Let's even this back up, Lobo." The Lucario sprinted toward the sleeping Belle, arms held to the side as he charged what would likely be a powerful attack.

"Sleep talk!" Olli shouted, but he was too late. By the time his Blissey opened her mouth, and a few sparks of flame formed, Lobo had already made it to her. He released his attack, a force blast of immense power, strong enough that he used the concussion to launch himself skyward. He then formed an aura sphere between his palms, and sent it careening into the helpless Belle. The impact kicked up a cloud of dust, and by the time it settled, Lobo had landed, and Belle lie not sleeping, but unconscious in the gravel.

The crowd begged for more, and Olli would give it to them. Belle had done her job, and now it was time for her to rest. He thought about who to bring out against such an opponent, but it didn't take long to decide. It was time to release his most prized pokemon. This one had been with him since he started his journey. And now, it was time to let him get some fresh air. He felt in his pocket for the proper pokeball. This one had no marking; it didn't need one. He could feel the warmth emanating from the capsule, and knew this was the right one. He threw the ball out, and from it came a large, white, dragon-like creature. Its inner wings had a slight violet tint, and the tip of its tail burned cerulean. "Shiroi, show 'em what we're worth!" The creature gave a tremendous roar as it circled the stadium from the air, twisting and turning to dodge the stealth rocks that were still in place.

"Oh, yes! Get ready, folks! It seems Ollander is sending out his infamous albino Charizard, Shiroi! It's rare to see him used so early in the game. This can only tell us that Ollander means business!"

"Shiroi! You know what to do!" A short puff of blue flame signified that the Charizard understood.

On the other side of the field, Ryven was visibly shaken. He had encountered this particular Charizard once before, when he was still fresh as a trainer. It didn't end well. Since then, it had been customary in battles between he and Ollander that Shiroi would not be used, and instead, Olli would make use of his Arcanine. It appeared that this time around, the Arcanine would be sitting in storage. Ryven supposed he should take this to mean Olli believed he could stand a chance against the tyrant beast; a complement of sorts.

Ryven snapped himself out of his thoughts, focusing once again on the battle at hand. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that could be done. His inaction, however brief, had given Shiroi plenty of time to open his maw, and release a fearsome heat wave. The swell of burning air slammed into Lobo before even hope of evasion had shown itself. The poor creature was sent crashing into a far wall, and the excess energy of the attack twisted through the stadium, barely contained by the protective barriers in place. Shocked audience members stared on, as the scorching waves dissolved, revealing Lobo. He was lodged deep in a crater in the wall, and now that the attack was gone, he fell from it, limp.

The crowd was silent. Rarely did such a show of power find its way into the stadium, but when it did, it was often too much for onlookers to handle. But they came there to see two of the strongest trainers battle, and that's what they saw. That attack was only the start of a battle infinitely more fierce…


End file.
